Thank you!

Today, I had a great lunch. Infact, the best lunch.
Arun decided to treat me with his culinary skills. He helps me a lot in kitchen now and then. But today, he made me to completely relax and cooked from A-Z, all by himself.

This is the menu:
Chicken roast
Rice
Rasam

The highlight was the chicken curry which he prepared in a different style. Thanks to the kitchenmishmash blog. Arun followed the exact recipe and added some chilli powder (not in the recipe)
http://kitchenmishmash.blogspot.com/2007/06/chicken-roast-with-kuttanadan-touch.html

It turned out very well.



Thanks dear for the wonderful lunch! Expecting more treats like this from you :-)

Peanut Capsicum curry

http://momrecipies.blogspot.com/2008/11/capsicum-curry.html

Vegetable Puff

I tried this exact recipe of Sudha's and it came out very well. I used the puff pastry.
http://mysamayal.blogspot.com/2006/06/vegetable-puff_17.html

Here are some pics:

Spinach - Broom of the stomach

I hit upon Spinach everytime I read an article about health. There is a famous French proverb that describes Spinach as 'The Broom of the Stomach'. It is also called as 'The Vitamin Vegetable'. Spinach deserves all these praises. It improves our health in so many ways and protects us from many diseases.

Here are a few good things about Spinach:

1. Protects against breast, prostate and ovarian cancer

2. Vitamin K in Spinach helps maintain bone health
3. Good source of Calcium and Magnesium
4. Good Source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C
5. Provides cardiovascular protection
6. Smarter brain
7. Better eyesight
8. Good source of Iron

and the list goes on and on....

Spinach Dhal:
Ingredients:
Spinach
Toor Dhal
Onion
Tomato
Chilli powder
Salt
Asafoetida
Garlic
Turmeric Powder

Cooking Method:
Add turmeric powder, asafoetida and garlic to toor dhal and pressure cook for three whistles. Then in a pan heat oil and fry onions till they turn golden brown. Then add tomatoes. Fry till the oil comes up and add Spinach. Fry till Spinach becomes a paste and then add dhal to it. Add Chilli powder and Salt. Cook for 5 mins. Serve with rice and chapathi.

Chettinad Chicken

Bored of usual chicken curry and fry, try this out! 'Chettinad' not only adds glamour to the recipe name, but has a very spicy chettinad flavor in it.

Ingredients:

To marinate:

Chicken - 8 Drumstick pieces (cut the pieces)

Lime Juice - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder

Salt

To grind:

Red Chillies - 3

Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Fennel seeds - 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp

Poppy seeds - 2 tbsp

Black Pepper - 2 tbsp

Cinnamom - 2

Cardamom - 3

Clove - 3

Mace - 2

Dry grated coconut - From Fresh coconut - 5 tbsp

Others:

Bay Leaf - 2

Onion - 2

Tomato - 2

Ginger - lil

Garlic - 5

Chilli Powder - 2 tbsp

Cilantro

Mint leaves

Oil

Water

Cooking Method:

Wash Chicken thoroughly. Marinate by adding lime juice, turmeric powder and salt to it. Leave it for 1/2 hour.

Slightly roast the ingredients given in "To Grind" section without oil. Roast it for 3 minutes until the aroma comes out.

Have the pan ready with oil. Put bay leaves and then onions. When the onions turn golden brown, add ginger garlic paste. When it is ready, add chicken. Mix it for 3 minutes. Then add tomato, chilli powder, the ground masala powder. Mix well and add necessary water. Close it for 5 minutes. Take the lid and mix well. Boil it until you get your desired consistency.

Serve with Rice or Chapathi.

"Kozhukattai - Recipe"

Sep 15th is Vinayagar Chathurthi. I know the things that come into your mind now...kutti Vinayagar idol with the beautiful umbrella (kudai :-)), sundal, vadai, payasam and our very favourite kozhukattai.




I tried doing kozhukattai for the first time yesterday. Luckily they came out very well. So here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

Rice Flour
Salt

Oil

Jaggery
Grated Coconut
Water
Powdered Cardamom

Method:
Boil water for some 20 mins. Add little salt and oil to the rice flour. Add water slowly and keep preparing dough with the rice flour. The consistency should be in such a way that you should be able to make the outer kozhukattai layer with it perfectly. Keep the dough aside.


For preparing the poornam, you need jaggery and grated coconut. I prefer not to use the frozen coconut. Fresh coconut tastes better. Boil very little water and to that add jaggery. Let it boil for sometime. When the jaggery gets dissolved in water completely, add the grated coconut and cardamom. Stir for sometime and switch off the stove when the poornam is ready.


Smear your hands with oil and prepare kozhukattai layer with the dough. Keep little poornam inside it. Close it. Prepare all the kozhukattai. Keep them in idli plates and pressure cook them.



Tasty Tasty kozhukattai ready!!!